Step 7: The Acrylic Diffuser

Step 8: Use

You're done! Go read a book. This also works well as a soft light for photography. Get a patch! Oh, and if you make one post a photo in the comment...

Friends have regularly recommended books as being particularly illuminating, but I admit that after opening them I was as in the dark as ever. Since I’m not one to let a good metaphor go unmolested (and because design schools seem to constantly create designers who’s job it is to make ugly lamps) I made this.

*Thanks to Boing Boing, Make, Craft and all the other sites for featuring this project, and to the Instructables community for voting it as a finalist in the LED contest!

It turns off when its closed and gives off a variable amount of light depending on how far you open it, up to about a 40W light equivalent. It gives a nice warm, soft light and it looks right at home on my bedside table.

http://www.diodeled.com/products-view.php?id=16(I used this one from SparkFun because its small and sensitive.)

2.1mm female panel mount plug. Like this one from Mouser or this one from Jameco.

12v 600mA power adapter with a 2.1mm make plug. (Like this one from SparkFun)

22 gauge (or so) insulated wire. Stranded or solid core.

Flexible warm white LED strip. You’ll need enough to be double the width and height of your book. I bought mine by the inch at the local hardware store, (this is what it is, but they only sell wholesale.) If you can’t find it there, these from Phenopix are similar. You can also find other suppliers at this search. You don’t need waterproof, regular watervulnerable is fine.

White acrylic paint.

Electrical tape (ideally white)

Either a) Off-white linen & white glue or b) Ivory or white acrylic paint. Thick, from a tube, not a bottle. This is for simulating the outside pages. Paint is easier to do but it doesn’t feel as nice.

I like the remark: "You have to be wiling to scalp a book." There are other projects where you need to do that, like tablet-sleeves or netbook-cases. But all the time i'm hesitating. When it is a good book, i don't wanna destroy it. When it is trash, i don't wanna see the cover also. Has someone a good idea how to handle this inner conflict?

I've been looking for a small bed light for my camper van that doesn't connect to my leisure battery and I have a small book box (a box that looks like a book that is) and a string of battery powered led's. hmmm. I think I know what my next project is. Thanks for the idea!

I used 40%, though it's still kind of milky and translucent. I like that when it's off you can sort of see what's behind it. If you want to get rid of the milkiness go for "sign white" or 20%, though it will absorb a bit more light than the more transparent materials.

A reed switch is a great idea, would clean up the lines, and would help hod it closed when off. (Which wasn't a problem with this book, but could be a problem with some bindings.)

Be sure to get a "NC" (normally closed) type reed switch which is a little harder to find than the common "NO" (Normally open) switch. That will make sure it turns on when you open the book rather than off.

I've been thinking of something similar since I made a book speaker. It would be awesome to use a flex sensor or a linear potentiometer that would control the light level depending on how far the book opens.

About This Instructable

Bio:Creative swashbuckler. Writer for MAKE Magazine, presenter of inventions on TV, radio, magazines and newspapers. Professional problem solver. Annoyingly curious. Hacker of all things from computers ...read more »